Popular comedian Trevor Noah and esteemed star Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. Picture: Supplied
Spotify’s new highly anticipated original podcast ‘What Now? with Trevor Noah’ launched on November 9, featuring an intimate conversation with the esteemed actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
In the first episode, Noah and Johnson got candid, unpacking Johnson's troubled youth and his lifelong struggles with depression.
The actor further responds to public feedback surrounding the launch of his fund following the Maui fires and whether he'd ever consider running for president of the United States.
Some of the highlights shared with The Star include Noah speaking about the significance of spirited conversations.
“If there's one thing I've always loved, it's having a spirited conversation. I've always loved how the words coming out of another person's mouth can change how the mush in your brain processes or sees the world; it's been seen a certain way for such a long time. It feels like this these days, though. We might be losing that ability. Oh, it's become a little bit harder. You know. A few days ago, I was at an event. People were having really interesting and dynamic conversations about really difficult topics — men and women, young and old alike. And every few minutes, somebody would start their opinion with the phrase," "Now, I would never say this in public, but...Or, I would never say this if I were being recorded, but I found that fascinating. So many of us have opinions and ideas about the world that we live in. We are either unable or unwilling. Or too scared to share. And I thought to myself: If we cannot have conversations about difficult things, if the conversations themselves are now difficult things, then what hope do we have of fixing the difficult things? You know, I almost think of it like a minefield. One of the most dangerous places you can ever walk into is a minefield. Because you do not know, where they are. You do not know when your last step will be. All you know is that at any moment, something could blow up. But the danger comes when you step into the minefield. Imagine if discussing how to navigate the minefield was as dangerous as the minefield itself. That's what I feel like we're living in now,” said Noah
The Rock, as he is affectionately called, opened up about his connection to his culture.
“At a very early age, from my mom and my dad, it was always ‘what you are is perfect’ and ‘what you are is cool.’ Black culture, Samoan culture—we come from a world of pro wrestling. And at that time, Trevor, if you think about it, pro wrestling was nowhere near the global juggernaut that it is today. And it was a very small subculture. So be proud of everything that you are doing. It was always ‘be proud'. It's a cool thing. And I got to tell you, as you go down the road of life, you start to realise just how special culture is—how special all of our culture is.”
Noah will delve deeply with a special guest in this new podcast, which will include actors, CEOs, entertainers, athletes, and thought leaders.
These are the behind-the-scenes talks where radical candour, real back-and-forths, and honest reactions are the norm.
The comedian contributes his trademark effortlessly playful yet equally probing style to these conversations.
The Star
anita.nkonki@inl.co.za
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